Gaming The System
by Squeakthief
Summary: Who ever said death was the end? Waking up in a world that's not my own, in a body I've long since grown out of... is this my second chance? Either way, the future is now in my hands, and the hands of the asshole AI helping me get stronger. Gamer SI/OC!
1. Uprush 1

You never forget your first head-on collision with a truck. Most of the time, it's because there _is _no second time. Either you're paralyzed for life after the incident, you're a little more careful around roads, or you straight up do not survive the experience.

I was pretty certain I'd fall into that last category.

Instead I woke up, decidedly not dead, and facing an unfamiliar ceiling. The room around me was small, but it had a large set of sliding glass doors that lead out onto a small balcony at one end, another window on the wall next to me, and a desk in the corner. The bed I was laying on was cozy and plush, but like everything else in the room it lacked any personalization, covered in plain white sheets. Definitely not a hospital room, It was cute, modern, and minimalist in a way I'd never been in my entire life. That left one option:

I was in someone else's house, in someone else's bed.

Definitely not freaking out, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, intending to go and thank the (hopefully) kind stranger who scraped me off the pavement and then get myself back home. Instead I managed to catch a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror hanging on the wall beside the bed. It was me, yeah, but me from when I was 14 years old, gangly, disproportionate body and all. Heck, even my hair was the same- hanging in front of my face in a way it hadn't in years.

I'm not proud to say I screamed like the little girl I'd become, but hey, you try waking up deaged in a stranger's apartment and tell me how you react.

I frantically searched my pockets for my phone, and found nothing but a few dollars and a hair tie. Just as I began to feel the cold hand of a panic attack begin to close around my throat, a box popped up in front of me.

**Welcome to the game, user!**

**You have slept in your own bed, 100% Heal!**

I stared at the floating text for what must've been a full minute and a half.

And then I started crying.

Have you ever just been completely and totally overwhelmed? Felt like too many things were happening, to fast for you to keep up? Felt stress hit you like a truck?

I heaved, scrubbing at my face with my hands. Everything was fine, I just needed to calm down. I was probably just high on pain meds or something. Heck maybe I _was _dead after all. Either way, when I opened my eyes again the box would be gone.

I opened my eyes.

And the box was still there.

I poked it, not expecting any kind of reaction from what I had hoped was a fever dream or side effect of the meds I was hopefully on.

Instead of vanishing like smoke like I'd expected, it rippled, jiggling like the weird bath gel my sister had picked up at the mall a few weeks ago.

Finally I could feel myself begin to cross into the hysterical, slap happy side of being completely overwhelmed, the kind that let laughing relieve your tension and stress, even if it wasn't always appropriate.

I kept poking the box, giggling as it rippled, and I could feel some of the stress simmer down, just a little. After a while of playing with the box, I heard a soft 'ping!' and a new box opened in front of me.

**System asks that the user please stop poking the window.**

"Oh, Sorry." I replied to the window, and pulled my hand back.

Now that I had calmed down, I allowed myself to take stock of the situation. I was, somehow, not dead. And stuck in a video game, as a 14 year old. Amazing. I took a deep breath, than another. Everything was going great.

"Um, system? Can you explain what, exactly, is going on here?"

**User has entered the game. System is in charge of the user's user interface.**

"Okay...can I leave the game?" Even as I asked I could already tell what the answer would be.

**Exiting the game just means losing faster.**

I sighed and wiped my face with my sleeve, guess that meant there was no going home.

"Alright, cool, great. Well, first things first then. Where am I?"

**User is inside the Home Base. Granted by the system, this small apartment belongs to the user in order to provide a permanent address. Home Base can be upgraded to a larger size, or with decorations to provide passive bonuses.**

Interesting. That explained why the system referred to the bed as my own, I guess, and it was certainly better than sleeping out on the streets. Hell, it was already nicer than the place I'd had in college, so this wouldn't be too hard.

"Great, this place is really nice- thanks for the home, system!" I smiled up at the air and hoped that my gratefulness was being adequately communicated to the...AI? God? Which was now seemingly in charge of my life and continued existence.

…

**You're welcome, User.**

After that I took some time to explore the rest of the apartment. While it came with all the furniture I might need, including a small kitchen I was itching to try, it was severely lacking in the essentials.

Mainly food. And clothes, to a lesser extent, but mostly food. I remembered the few dollars I'd dug out of my pocket and decided a small trip to the store was in order. I headed for the door, slipping on my shoes which had magically appeared next to it. I stepped outside, pulling my jacket tighter around my frame as I headed down the stairs for the street below me. As I was walking though, an older woman stopped me on the staircase.

"Oh, Katsuki-chan! Headed to the store?" She smiled, the skin around her eyes wrinkling in a way that made me think she's give good hugs. Almost immediately though my mind caught up with what she said.

I was the only person on the stairs though, so she _had _to be talking to me. I guess that meant that...Katsuki? was my name now.

"Y-yeah! Just need to pick up some groceries!" I laughed. "It was nice to see you! Have a good evening!" The old woman laughed and patted me on the shoulder before continuing on her way. I made sure she was all the way up the steps before I hurried down the rest of the stairs and ducked into an alley. Yeah, groceries were important, but first...

I needed to make sure I knew what kind of game I was dealing with.

Memories of dating sims and horror games filled my head and I winced. Hopefully nothing like that. I might've played one or two, but by no means did I have any desire to live in one.

"Hey system, is there anything else you can show me?"

With little fanfare besides another small 'ping!', a bigger box opened up in front of me.

**True name: Lillian Wright**

**Given name: Touko Katsuki**

**Nickname:**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Physical: 5**

**Mental: 5**

**Control: 5**

**Energy: 5**

**Skills:**

**Gamer's Body Max: Allows the body to be adaptable and experience quick growth or recovery.**

**Gamer's Mind Max: Allows the user to interact with and perceive the game interface.**

Well, that explained a lot.

Thankfully it seemed that I was in an RPG, though different than the ones I was most familiar with. No reverse harems, actual harems, or casual murder here, hopefully. The name, on the other hand, made me a little worried. I knew enough japanese to recognize the romanization of it, but if the rest of this experience was going to rely on me _reading_ any, then I was screwed.

"System, can I get a quick summary of what's going on in this game? Why did that lady seem like she knew me?"

I could almost feel the system compiling its response as it considered my question. Finally another glowing box of text appeared in front of me.

"**Welcome to Your Hero Academia! Your name is Katsuki Touko, age 14. Born in the age of quirks, you live in Musutafu, Japan with your parents who are often away for work overseas! But don't worry about your location, dear user! All japanese will be translated by the system for an easy experience! Please work hard and be the best Hero you can be! \^o^/"**

I stared at the window in shock. "...You didn't write that. Did you?"

**User is correct. System simply copied and edited another system's introduction.**

I blinked, suddenly relieved that my seemingly standoffish companion hadn't suddenly gone full genki girl on me.

"Thank god."

I asked for a map next, mulling over the information that the system had just given me as I followed the short path to the convenience store.

As if the little name drop hadn't been enough, the location outright confirmed it, as did the various mutations I saw on citizens as I walked down the street. I was in the world of My Hero Academia, a world chock full of superheroes and supervillains. Where 80% of the population could do something straight out of your imagination. I wondered, for a moment, if I was quirkless, or if this game interface would count as a quirk. As I thought this another window opened up alongside the map.

**System will not register as a quirk, though user may obtain one through leveling up or through special items.**

I nodded. That made sense I guess. I was still physically the same as I was before I came here, just younger and...not a smear on the pavement. As I neared the convenience store, a thought popped into my head.

"So you chose my name then, system?"

**Yes, user. System is proud of his choice.**

I laughed.

"So why don't you use it? I'm sure it'll help me get used to being called something new."

Another small window opened up:

**User will need 10,000 more affection points to unlock that level of familiarity.**

I sighed. "I don't suppose those are actually a thing I can get?"

**No.**

Inwardly I was grateful. The less this... game thing changed my interactions with reality, the better. Affection systems had always rubbed me the wrong way, and I had no desire to experience that in my day to day life, or at all.

With that somewhat settled, I once again resumed my walk.

* * *

20 minutes and a few groceries later I was back in my apartment, heating water on the stove to make some hot tea. During the walk back I had attempted to pay more attention to my surroundings, particularly the people. It wasn't hard either, just seeing some of the physical manifestations of some people's quirks was amazing. I might have even stared _too_ much, resulting in my first real skills:

**Observe, Level 1: Stare like a weirdo and gain more information on your target, at this level observe only shows basic information.**

**Deception, Level 1: Somebody catch you staring like a weirdo? Deception will help you make them think **_**they're **_**the weirdo. Increases likelihood of people believing you.**

It was almost as if the system was trying to tell me something.

There wasn't much left to observe after I had tried my new skill on every surface in the apartment, however, and I was quickly growing bored. I knew the threadcount of my sheets, the cleanliness of the bathroom, hell I even knew how thin the walls were, down to the millimeter.

Which led to my current situation: playing 20 questions with the system.

"Okay, system, what's your favorite color?"

**System still thinks this game is pointless, but it's favorite color is the 10^-12 wavelength.**

Wasn't that the frequency for gamma rays? I shook my head and turned back to the stovetop where a small kettle was leaking steam into the air. The tea was ready.

As I poured the tea for myself I remembered something I'd been meaning to ask. With a backstory already made for me, and a permanent address provided…

"Does this game's story want me to go to UA?"

I couldn't deny that part of my was giddy at the thought. I'd always wanted to be a superhero when I was younger, and even if that dream had faded as I'd gotten older, suddenly being confronted with the ability to make it happen made me excited and nauseous at the same time.

**User is correct. This module provides its players with a permanent address so that entry into UA or other academies is not restricted by means or lack of documentation. This is also the reason for the reduced age and backstory.**

I hummed and ran the numbers. I'd managed to pick up a newspaper while I was out getting groceries, confirming the date to be March 28th. It still amazed me that the system managed to translate everything I saw into comfortable, familiar english, but that was besides the point. After checking with the system and confirming the deadline for applications, I realized that I'd have just over 10 months to get myself ready for the exam.

As if confirming my thoughts, another window popped up in front of me.

**QUEST: Going to Scho0l!  
Be a productive citizen and make it into the best highschool in the country- UA. Bonus rewards will be awarded based on placement in the entrance exam.**

**Note: Be careful about the department you apply for- once accepted it is hard to switch, and course curriculum will be a major factor in future growth paths.**

**REWARDS:**

**-UA Uniform**

**-1,000 EXP**

**-?**

**-?**

**FAILURE**

**-Become a drain on society**

**-Locked out of future advancement paths**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

Well, that settled it. If I was going to continue on in this world, I'd have to go back to school.

And become a hero.

At least, assuming I could pick something up in the next 10 months. Hopefully I'd be able to scrape by, but even if I had to apply to a less combat oriented course, it wouldn't be too terrible. I _wanted _to be a hero though. And with it so close, with my childhood dreams creeping back to center stange, I couldn't help but hope that I would be able to do it, that this game could give me the power to make my dreams come true.

I hit the button to accept the quest, and just like that started my journey to try and make something of my new life.


	2. Uprush 2

First things first, I needed money. Yeah, the apartment had a fully functioning bathroom, kitchen, and washing machine, but I didn't have any soap, and I was starting to smell a tad ripe.

Plus I needed more food.

The system seemed to share my sentiments, as another quest window popped up in front of me.

**QUEST: Get a job.**

**Start pulling your weight and get a job.**

**REWARDS:**

**-A job**

**-50 EXP**

**-?**

**FAILURE**

**-Stinkiness**

**-Starvation**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

I rolled my eyes and accepted the quest. Grabbing my jacket, I head back outside to search for some work, combing the streets for "help wanted" signs.

It quickly became apparent that finding jobs wasn't going to be the hard part- it seemed like every other shop was in need of some kind of assistance. No, the problem would be actually _getting _the job. I'd forgotten that I was 14 now and not a college graduate. It didn't help that at 14 I was over half a foot shorter than I'd been when I died, since all of my normal mannerisms made me look like a little girl playing at being mature. Every place I visited turned me down, all citing a variety of reasons, from my age, physical ability, gender, you name it.

**System thinks user will soon develop a job application skill if this keeps up.**

"Oh ha ha. Very funny. At this point it'd probably be more useful than you are."

It seemed like the only thing good to come of this job search so far was the experience for my two skills. I'd employed both observation and deception quite liberally as I lied to all of my prospective employers about my background and examined their summaries. Deception was now at level three, while observe had just hit level four, allowing me to see the levels of people around me along with a somewhat detailed summary of their background and abilities.

I continued to test observe as I walked down the street, picking out levels and trying to get a grasp on the average strength of the population. It also let me observe the sheer variety of quirks and powers that people in this world. My eyes caught on a girl across the street with hair like a sparkling sheet of blue glass- a quick observe told me that she was level 9, and her hair was indeed part of her quirk. Awesome.

It seemed that the average person was about level 10, with a few outliers here and there pushing into the upper teens and beyond, to the point where I'd even spotted someone with a level I couldn't see- just a ? floating above their head right below their name. I made sure to steer clear of them. While I wasn't sure they would hurt me, they were still far, far stronger than the general public, and in this world that meant one of two things: they were either a hero, or a villain, and both were prone to causing collateral damage I didn't want to be a part of.

**For making an actually smart decision, you've gained +1 Mental!**

I snorted and dismissed the notification. If I could gain stats just like that, by doing normal things in the real world…

Well, looks like I'll be taking up running again.

Eventually my wandering lead me to a crowded street that seemed closed off to cars, open storefronts and tea shops lining either side with young women passing out coupons to passerby as the merchants behind them made sales. Some of the girls looked about my age, but most were older teens. Huh. That looked like easy money right there. Curious, I approached one of the buildings. It didn't have an open storefront like many of the others, but I was beginning to realise that most of the establishments with young women out front didn't. Instead, it had a bright neon sign that read "Takahashi's Tea Room".

As I walked inside I was greeted by a man who must have been in his late 30's. Perfectly coiffed black hair going slightly gray at the temples. He was taller than me, with a bit of a beer belly, and dressed like he was auditioning for a role as an Elvis impersonator, minus all the glitter and jewels.

"Hello, young miss, is there anything I can assist you with?" Every single one of his words sounded like it was dripping in grease, hell, even the smile he flashed me was slimy.

I shook the offered hand, wincing as he squeezed it just a little too tight.

"I was wondering about the girls outside- do they work for you?" It was almost as if I could feel the mood in the room shift, the air getting just a little bit heavier. The man nodded, his eyes flicking up and down my body in a way that made me want to go take a shower.

"Yes, they work for me. Why? You want a job as well?" The feeling grew stronger, pressing on my shoulders like a mother's wary grip. Something wasn't right. I hesitated, quickly scanning the room behind him for other potential threats. "Y-yeah. I...want to help out my parents." The man hmmed, before nodding and turning to a young woman standing behind the counter to our left.

"Mai, watch the shop. I'm going to go help this little lady join our little tea shop family." He turned and slipped a hand onto my lower back as he guided me towards another room in the back of the shop. Immediately I knew I had made a mistake, the tense feeling in the air beating on my shoulders with all the weight of the world. In front of me another game window appeared.

**You've gained a skill: Sense Danger!**

**Sense Danger Lvl 2: Where most people have common sense, you need a computer to tell you when things are going to go bad. Alerts you to incoming danger and threats. Range: 10 Feet.**

Shit shit shit _shitshitshitshit._ What was I doing?! Did I want to get kidnapped? How could I have been so stupid! I mentally berated myself as the man guided me into an office and shut the door. Once we were both seated I immediately started planning my escape, firing off a belated observe as I thought. The information it returned, however, didn't reassure me at all.

**The Tea Room Tyrant**

**Takahashi Shiro**

**Level 13**

**A mid level yakuza, Takahashi runs a chain of profitable brothels and hostess clubs throughout Musutafu's red light district. While not particularly strong, Takahashi corrales his victims through psychological abuse and blackmail.**

**User should endeavor to leave as fast as possible.**

I was screwed. I took a deep breath and tried to make sure I didn't look like I was internally freaking out, something I'd gotten pretty good at over the years. He didn't know I knew who he really was, or what this establishment really was. My observe had told me he wasn't physically powerful, which meant he probably didn't have a physical quirk, if he had one at all.

Hopefully I could just say no to whatever job he was about to offer me and leave like nothing ever happened.

I should've known that wouldn't happen.

As soon as we were both settled at the desk Takahashi started rifling around through its drawers, grumbling under his breath as he closed one and opened another. When he'd finally found what he was looking for he straightened, and dropped a considerably thick packet of papers onto the table between us. The top of the first page confirmed my suspicions: this whole packet of papers was an employment contract. Likely one Takahashi had created himself.

"Alright missy, so here's what you're gonna do. You sign this contract, you get your job. All you'll be doing to start is handing out coupons, hell you can even wear your school uniform if you want. Once you've been working for us for a while you'll be promoted and moved inside to serve or prepare tea for our guests, got it?"

I nodded and brought a finger to my lips, channeling my inner 14 year old. "Mmm, I don't know Mister. I thought this would be a cool job but its too far away from home. My parents wouldn't like it."

I stood up, bowing to the man seated before me. "I'm sorry I wasted your time sir." I turned to leave, but the door behind me was shut and locked. _God _I was an idiot.

When I turned back to face the desk Takahashi had already risen, approaching me with that slimy smirk still plastered on top of his face. I backed up, pressing against the door. He stopped in front of me, leaning far enough into my personal space that I could feel his stale breath on my face. Too close.

"Look missy, I'd love to let you go on home, I really would. But the thing is, we really need some more help around here. Hows about you just sign that contract and we can throw in a little extra cash, huh?" He kept getting closer, closer, _too close_. My brain was screaming at me, heart nearly pounding out of my chest.

"I'm sure your parents will really app-hrrk!" Just like that he dropped like a stone, hands going to protect his manhood from a continued assault even as he shivered and vomited on the ground. As I stood over him, my knee still tingling from the impact, I could feel myself beginning to hyperventilate.

I wasn't overly proud of my actions, but even as he laid there, my brain was only registering him as a _threat, _and so I followed through, grabbing a thick, heavy book from the shelf behind the desk and hitting him with it until I was sure he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

I staggered back to the desk, arms shaking as I sat and tried to calm down. I took a deep breath. And another. And another, until I could feel my body begin to relax. It was then that I noticed the boxes hanging in the air, like they had been waiting for me to get ahold of myself. If I was being honest, they probably were.

I opened each one of them slowly.

**Deception has leveled up! Deception is now level 4.**

**You've gained a skill: Critical Strike!**

**Critical Strike Level 1: Strike at the vulnerable parts of an enemy for immense damage! Damage modifier: 200%**

**You've gained a skill: Unarmed Combat Proficiency!**

**Unarmed Combat Proficiency Level 1: Man's original weapon was his fists. Now you too can be proficient in punching things.**

**Increases damage and skill when in unarmed combat. Gives +2 Physical every 10 levels.**

**+250 EXP**

**250/100 EXP**

**You've Leveled Up! +1 To all stats, +5 Points available to spend. **

I'd leveled up, cool.

I flipped through the windows, closing them one by one as I thought about what I was capable of now. When I reached the last window, however, my eyes caught on the final sentence.

I knew I'd get stronger with each level up, that was just video games in general. But points…

"System, how do I use points?"

Almost immediately a window opened in front of me with all my stats, small arrows next to each one. At the bottom of the list was a new line: Points: 10. I knew I'd gotten 5 from leveling up just now, so I suppose I must've started with 5 as well.

"Hey uh, system? Can you tell me what each of these stats do? I think I understand, but I'd like to hear it from you first.

**Of course user.**

**Physical: Controls physical abilities, i.e strength, speed, etc.**

**Mental: Controls mental faculties, i.e Willpower, Wisdom, etc.**

**Control: Your ability to use and control skills and enhancements.**

**Energy: The energy you have to activate skills and enhancements.**

"Thanks." I pondered the list before me for a few moments. Ultimately I decided that for now I'd drop two points on each stat, and save the other two for tomorrow when I was in a more stable state of mind.

On some level I was definitely aware that I'd just beaten a man into unconsciousness, but who cared. That was future me's problem.

As if he could tell I'd been thinking about him, Takahashi began to stir where he laid on the ground. Not wanting to deal with him again, I rooted through the desk for anything I could use to tie him up or otherwise restrain him.

Among the papers in the desk I ended up finding some cold medicine, a cloth surgical mask still in its packaging, some zip ties, and disturbingly enough a pair of metal handcuffs and the associated key. That wasn't the most worrying thing, however. In the bottom drawer, under a false bottom that had been left ajar, was a handgun and two boxes of bullets. I put the gun back into the drawer and fixed the plywood piece atop it. No need to tempt fate. After that was done I tested the handcuffs a few times to make sure they weren't the dollar store kind with an easy release. Good.

I walked back over to Takahashi and pulled his arms behind his back to lock them there before I dug through his pockets for the key to the door. It was an extremely uncomfortable process, but eventually I'd found the key.

And his wallet, but hey, I'd leave him his ID.

On second thought, I returned the credit cards as well. I didn't need to give the yakuza a way to track me, even if it would be fun to destroy the man's credit.

I was on my way out the door when the speaker on the desk crackled to life.

"Takahashi, this is Komeda. We're bringing in some more girls tonight for tomorrow morning's dispatch. Make sure the garage is ready for us."

_The girls, _I thought. That's right- Takahashi was in charge of some kind of human trafficking ring. I couldn't just _leave _them here.

I mean, I could. I probably should, even. I should leave, call the police and give an anonymous tip. Let them get the heroes involved. It'd be fine.

But even as I thought that, I couldn't make my feet listen to me. I couldn't just leave those girls to be trafficked. What if the police didn't believe me? Didn't act before tomorrow morning? The thought almost made me sick.

What kind of hero would I be-no, what kind of _person_ would I be if I just left them here and didn't make sure they were safe?

I turned back to the desk and grabbed the surgical mask. If I was going to do this I didn't want to be recognized. From what I remembered, this world didn't take too kindly to vigilantism, and a criminal record definitely wouldn't help me get into UA.


	3. Uprush 3

**1.3**

**Uprush**

My insane drive to risk my own life lasted only as long as it took to slip the mask over my face. The second I did the reality of what I had planned hit me like another truck. Was I really, actually going to risk my life here?

No, I shouldn't. My apparent death wish notwithstanding, these people deserved an actual hero, not a child who was just going to get herself killed. I'd stay until they got here then. Make sure everyone got out okay without risking my life. My mind finally made up, I reached across the desk and picked up the phone to call in the big guns.

Only to realise I didn't even know how.

I stared at the receiver in my hand, the numbers looking back at me as if mocking my ignorance. How could I not know the freaking emergency number? I checked the whole room, every book paper and pamphlet, but nope. Why would you write down an emergency number when everyone should know it?

Everyone except me.

I covered my face with my hands and groaned. I was such an _idiot. _Why hadn't I thought about this before?

My mind flashed back to the window where I'd distributed my stats. Sure I had all the knowledge from my previous life, but as I'd discovered, my body was wholly 14 again. And that meant my brain was as well. Back to its underdeveloped, prepubescent state. If my mental stat governed my brain, and thus my decision making…

I quickly opened up the points menu again and dropped my remaining 2 points into my mental stat, bringing it to 11. It wasn't as good as I'd like, doing some quick math, I figured that the average adult would be somewhere around 15, but at the same time it was better than having little to no decision making ability.

I took another deep, shuddering breath, and thought over the situation before me. I didn't know the emergency number, that was the main problem right now. I couldn't let anyone figure out what I'd done to Takahashi either, at least until I got the police to show up, which had to be before the "dispatch" tomorrow morning. I thought back to when I'd first arrived- there had been a young woman working at the counter, Takahashi had told her to mind the shop.

If anything, she'd know the emergency number. I could ask her to call the police for me, and explain what was really going on when they got here, no violence necessary. That was certainly a better plan than trying to go full daredevil on a superhuman human trafficker's ass.

I nodded to myself, decided. Go talk to the counter girl, get the emergency number, explain the situation.

Easy peasy.

It seemed that the system agreed with me this time, as another quest window opened in front of me.

**QUEST: Human Trafficking Jam!**

**Now that you're done trying to be batman, call the police and bust this ring wide open.**

**REWARDS:**

**Learn the emergency number**

**Unlock ?**

**50 EXP**

**BONUS:**

**?**

**?**

**FAILURE:**

**Capture**

**Eventual Painful Death**

**ACCEPT?**

**Y/N**

I accepted the quest with a tap. "Guess my plan earlier really wasn't the best, huh system?"

**It was not.**

**...**

**Don't fail user.**

A small smile grew on my face and I nodded. Finally ready, I glanced at the bottom desk drawer- there was just one other thing I had to take care of first.

[(ง •̀_•́)ง]

I considered the gun in front of me with a critical eye. Observe had told me that it was a 9mm Glock 17, and very, very illegal to own in Japan. I didn't even know how to shoot it, let alone hit someone with the bullet that came out. I should just leave it here.

I picked up the handgun by the barrel, avoiding the trigger like I'd heard hundreds of times before. It was just about the only thing I knew about gun safety- right behind never pointing a loaded gun at someone you weren't ready to shoot. It felt heavy and unnatural in my hands, the metal cold and harsh.

I should leave it here, but when I thought about what was coming, at least, what I remembered from the manga… Even an inexperienced shooter at point blank range could do some real damage, and I didn't think you could regenerate around a bullet.

Now, if this functioned like a normal game…

"System...show me how to open my inventory please."

The window opened without a word, grayed out boxes where I assumed stored items would appear lining its surface. I tapped the window with the butt of the gun and it dissolved into light, reappearing in my inventory with little fanfare. I followed the gun with the two boxes of bullets, and then the zip ties. You never knew when these things would be useful. I'd do some more experimenting with the inventory once I was safely out of this mess.

"Thanks system."

Before I left the room I made an attempt at dragging Takahashi into a less suspicious position. Once I'd gotten him situated under the desk, I left the room the way we'd come, finding myself back in the main room of the establishment. The place was relatively empty, only one lone patron sitting at a table in the corner. The young woman was, thankfully, still standing at the counter, wiping it down with a small rag.

"Um, excuse me, miss?"

She jumped like my words had burned her, scrambling to adjust her apron.

"Y-yes? How can I help you?" I took another deep, shuddering breath, trying to make sure I still looked as innocent as possible. I forced my eyes to tear up- a trick I hadn't used since I was last in middle school.

"C-Can you call the police? S-something happened-Mr. Takahashi just fell over and I-" I scrubbed my face with my sleeve, "I just don't know what to do! What if he's hurt?" Jeez, I hoped I wasn't laying it on too thick.

It seemed I didn't have any reason to worry, however, as the woman flew towards me and started trying to calm me down. Huh. Guess I was still small enough to activate the mother hen instinct. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another window informing me that deception had leveled up again, but I ignored it for now.

"O-of course! Shh, don't cry- we'll get this all sorted out, don't worry." She patted me on the shoulders and turned back to the counter for the phone. As she did so I activated observe and nearly punched myself in the face when I read the resulting window.

**Aiko Shinomaki**

**Level 11**

**A low level yakuza member, Shinomaki runs one of Takahashi's many tea shops while he is away or otherwise indisposed. Her quirk proved her to be an extremely valuable resource when she was first recruited, and has allowed her to move up the ranks of young women working for Takahashi relatively quickly.**

Wow, I was even more screwed. If I could've sworn aloud I would've. Instead, I mentally cursed at myself for not observing her first. As Shinomaki tapped out numbers on the phone pad in front of her I quickly re-assessed the situation.

There was no way she was actually calling the police. I'd bet everything I had on it. Instead, she was probably calling in more of her yakuza buddies or some kind of crooked doctor to check out what had happened, which was the absolute last thing I'd need right now. As I stood there, watching her call in my doom, however, I noticed something peeking out of her pocket- a cellphone.

I didn't question why she had it, or why she wasn't using it to make the call. Instead I darted forwards and grabbed it out of her pocket before I booked it to the back rooms I'd come from.

While I probably could've made it to the door and outside, I needed to keep everyone in the building, in the building. Otherwise they would probably scatter once they realized I knew what was going on behind the scenes. Better to keep them here, looking for me, than risk them getting away.

Eventually I found myself in a broom closet- the door closed and shut tight behind my back as I powered on the phone. Every smartphone that I knew of, at least in america, had some way of contacting emergency services without needing the passcode. I just hoped it'd be the same here.

To my relief it was, the small white "emergency" button glowing at the bottom of the screen. I hit it with probably way more force than necessary, and sat there, on the floor of the broom closet, nearly rocking back and forth as the call connected.

"Hello this is Musutafu Emergency Services what is your emergency?"A female voice rang through the speaker. I sighed in relief.

"Hi, um, I," I was suddenly at a loss for words- what did you even say in this kind of situation? I took another deep breath. "I was almost kidnapped by human traffickers and I need the police to get here as soon as possible-" I covered my mouth as I heard a set of footsteps race past in the hall behind me. "-please they're going to hurt so many girls."

"And where are you right now ma'am?"

I blanked before a window opened in front of me with the map of Musutafu clearly displayed, my position highlighted in bright blue.

"It's called Takahashi's Tea Room, about halfway up Ichiba Street." The woman on the line hmmed and tapped a few keys on her keyboard.

"Alright, Police will be with you as soon as possible. Please sit tight and remain on the line. Are you in a safe position right now?"

I nodded before I remembered she couldn't see me. "Yeah, I'm in the broom closet right now." I could feel the tension drain from my body as she spoke, her voice washing all the anxiety from my thoughts, keeping me calm. "Does your quirk- are you making me calm down right now?"

"That's good. Now, just stay on the line with me okay?" I mumbled and okay but repeated my question- there was no way the calm I could feel right now was normal. The woman on the other end sighed.

"Yes, you're right, my quirk allows my voice to soothe those who hear it." I thanked her for explaining and looked around the room.

I was too afraid to turn the light on for fear of someone seeing, but even without it I could see the various cleaning supplies and jugs of chemicals sitting on shelves and lining the floor. Bleach, dish soap, floor wax… I only realised I was distracting myself when I started counting the individual containers.

I'd been in the closet for about 12 minutes when I heard another two sets of footsteps start down the hallway to my hiding place. Heavy and foreboding, these weren't Shinomaki's footsteps, instead, they were probably the yakuza who'd called Takahashi about the other young women. Thinking quickly I realised that if they were to try and open the door to my hiding place they'd quickly discover it for what it was. Praying I wasn't about to seriously harm myself, I turned to one of the shelving units and started to climb.

[(ง •̀_•́)ง]

Komeda Muremaru had been in the business for a long time. So long, in fact, that his teenage daughter had been born after he'd gotten involved. He'd seen everything, the scum of the earth that inhabited this city, all the things they were willing to do, the things they'd try to hide. Throw quirks into the mix and you could go from seeing a man with two heads trying to barter for drugs to watching a girl with a snake tail choke out a john for stiffing her on her last job. In this business, you saw everything.

Which made it all the more easy for him to track down the little girl Shinomaki had called him about.

He'd already been on his way to the shop when he'd gotten the call that something had happened to Takahashi. Apparently a young girl- one of his prospects, probably -had asked her to call the police because he'd passed out in front of her. Shinomaki said the kid looked too young to be a hero, or even in hero school, but Muremaru wouldn't put it past some hero with a de-aging quirk to try and go undercover at the shop.

Either way, the kid had apparently realized Shinomaki wasn't calling the police, snatched her phone, and booked it. Not out of the shop to the busy street, but back into the bowels of the shop for some reason. Shinomaki said she had gone and looked for her, but she didn't have any luck- instead she'd found Takahashi lying on the ground behind his desk, hands zip-tied behind his back and by all consideration dead to the world.

Shinomaki was still with him now. She'd gone and closed up the shop first, but returned to sit by his side with a bucket of ice and a rag. She trusted Muremaru to sort out the issue.

So, once he'd arrived, he'd gotten the girls situated in the back room, locked the door, told his boys to keep watch, and gone hunting, the two antennae on his forehead waving back and forth with every step he took. It wasn't hard to track the girl, the scent of her fear had saturated Takahashi's office and clung to Shinomaki's apron like glue, and he followed it down the twisting hallway until he came to a stop in front of the small broom closet.

Typical.

The door was locked, but offered little resistance to Muremaru's quick, and one sharp jerk forced it open. An explosion of dust greeted him as he looked into the small, dark closet. He stepped inside, antennae twitching wildly, and scanned the floor. The girl's scent was so concentrated in the small area that it was hard to discern her position. He checked behind a few stacks of boxes, growing increasingly annoyed, until a small sound from behind him drew his attention.

He turned, eyes looking up to find the girl- slight frame, long brown hair- perched atop one of the shelving units, hidden amongst the chemicals. He smiled.

"Found you."

He took two steps in her direction, arms coming up in an attempt to try and pull her down. He'd barely gotten his hands around her when pain blossomed across his face and his vision went black. He screamed, hands coming to scrub at his face as the smell of chemicals filled his senses, and doubled over, not even noticing the girl slip off of the shelving unit and back out the door he'd entered.

[(ง •̀_•́)ง]

I shut the door behind me as fast as I could, jamming a broomstick through the handle to keep it shut. On the phone, the emergency operator was asking me what had happened. I did my best to explain, through slowly steadying breaths, how I had dumped a full bottle of bleach on the man who'd come after me, and requested that they send an ambulance as well as the police.

"Alright, kiddo- we'll send out an ambulance. I'm gonna need you to breathe for me, okay? In and out, yes, just like that." I followed her instructions and let the feeling of her quirk wash over me as I started finding a new place to hide.

As I walked I went over the windows that had popped up while I was in the closet. First I went over the observation summary that the system had given me on that last guy one more time, just to make sure he wasn't about to get up again and come after me.

**Bullet Ant**

**Komeda Muremaru**

**Level 16**

**A mid level yakuza in the same family as Takahashi and Shinomaki, Komeda acts as the muscle and coordinator for most resource shipments in Musutafu, along with his "swarm" of underlings. Armed with his quirk, Komeda moonlights as the low-level street villain "Bullet Ant".**

The assessment had scared me a lot when he had entered the room, and when he'd grabbed me, I'd done the first thing I thought of: grab the bottle next to me, and pour it on his face.

On some level I knew that this was the best result. As much as I'd like to wish that the bottle had simply been full of soap or water, I knew that that wouldn't have kept him down, let alone let me escape without getting hurt.

I examined the next couple results with a more critical eye.

**You've gained a skill: Stealth!**

**Stealth Level 1: Channel your inner ninja and become one with the shadows. Increased skill with hiding and moving undetected.**

**Sense Danger has leveled up! Sense Danger is now level 3. Range: 15 feet.**

**+290 EXP**

**440/200 EXP**

**You've Leveled Up! +1 To all stats, +5 Stat Points.**

I dismissed the skill level ups with a flick of my hand and opened up the points menu, immediately dropping three points into mental to bring myself up to what I expected the average adult in this world would have. I considered the other two points for I moment longer before I shrugged and added them to my mental stat as well, bringing it to 17. I briefly thought about the other stats, mainly my physical one, and decided that I'd go track down a gym membership or something once I got out of this mess.

With that taken care of, I made my way to the women's restroom by the entrance and hunkered down to await the arrival of the police.

"Um, Operator-san, how long until the cops get here?"

[(ง •̀_•́)ง]

I nearly cried in relief when the police showed up half an hour later, their strong voices and heavy steps like music to my ears. I thanked the emergency operator for her time, and hung up the phone before I left the bathroom with my hands up.

One of the officers spotted me rather quickly. He introduced himself as Officer Miturashi.

While he wasn't anyone I recognized from the anime or manga, he seemed nice, with short blonde hair and green eyes. He was also really tall, to the point where I had to crane my neck back as far as I could to even see his face.

He pulled out a chair at one of the many tables and sat down, making his domineering height a little less imposing, and gestured at the chair across from him.

"You're the young lady who called us here today?" He asked me, his voice a lot higher than I expected. I nodded and took a seat in the indicated chair, still looking at all the different police officers entering and exiting the building. I even recognized one of them, with an orange cat's head, from the anime. "What's your name, little miss?"

"Katsuki Touko, officer."

"Well, Katsuki-chan, why don't you explain what happened here tonight? Just so we can understand what went down."

I took a deep breath and nodded again, deception don't fail me now.

"Well it all started when the owner- I think his name was Takahashi?- brought me back into his office to talk about getting a job. While we were in there someone called the speaker on his desk and started talking about delivering girls so I got worried and…"

I explained the day's events the best I could without revealing my ability, making sure that they knew I had only done the things I did out of self defence. I even managed to turn the tears on when I was talking about Komeda and the bleach I'd spilled on him. Not that it was hard, I really did feel guilty about that.

When I had finally finished my story Officer Miturashi nodded and placed his hands on the table, pushing himself up and out of the chair. "Well Katsuki-chan, I don't see why we can't let you go home for now. Just make sure you swing by the station in the next couple days so we can get all the paperwork sorted, okay?"

I nodded and thanked the officer for his help before getting up and walking out of the tea shop. Next time I applied for a job I'd make sure to be more careful.


	4. Tide Pool 1

**Tide Pool**

**2.1**

I stumbled outside with all the grace of a newborn deer, still dealing with the events that had just occurred. I barely stopped to look at the people around me whispering and pointing at the mesh of police officers swarming the store behind me as, with one more quick glance at the map the system so graciously supplied me, I made my way home.

Stepping into my apartment I locked the door behind me and threw myself down on the bed, burying my face in my pillow. I let out a small scream before I rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

I couldn't believe what had just happened, what I'd done. Putting aside the potential larger consequences of directly compromising a yakuza establishment, I might've permanently blinded a man with bleach. I could try and rationalize it all I wanted, it was self defense after all, but that didn't stop the guilt I felt for potentially ruining the man's life even more than he himself already had.

Almost as though it had seen the direction of my thoughts, a small noise from the system drew my attention to the notifications that had popped up after I left the tea shop.

**Quest Completed: Human Trafficking Jam!**

**REWARDS:**

**Learned the emergency number!**

**Unlocked Key Information Database!**

**50 EXP**

**BONUS REWARDS:**

**$300**

**Skill Book: Silk Hiding Steel**

**310/300 EXP**

**Level Up! +1 to all stats, +5 points!**

"The Key Information Database…?" I mumbled to myself as I inspected the screen. Almost immediately after the words left my mouth I yelped as I felt something fall onto my head.

I rubbed the small bump on my head with one hand as I inspected the thing that fell on me with the other.

It looked like a regular old smartphone, the same model that I had seen in the hands of many of the people I'd passed today. I hadn't really thought about it before I'd left, but I probably would've ended up buying one eventually- you just couldn't operate without one in this day and age, especially if I needed to actually go to school again.

I powered it on, half expecting to see the same lock screen I'd had on my own phone before I'd died. Instead, I was greeted with a picture of the milky way and the stark white numbers of the clock shining up at me.

It didn't have a password, of course, and when I opened up the contacts the only one available was the emergency service hotline. I glared at the phone, yet another reminder that I had failed to look up the most basic and important information for living in a world where crises are common.

When I navigated to the photos app however, things got slightly more interesting. The full map of Takahashi's Tea House was stashed in an appropriately labeled album, with all the different rooms I'd been to featured in highest detail. It reminded me somewhat of the map system in another game I'd once played- with places I hadn't been outlined much more generally when compared to the acute details of the rooms I had.

There didn't seem to be much more to it, however, so I shut the phone off and dropped it onto the bedside table. Seemingly taking that as a signal, the remaining rewards dropped onto my head, first the solid and heavy thump of a book, and then the lighter weight of the money.

I considered getting an ice pack as I rubbed the now-growing bump on my head.

"Are you pissed at me or something?"

**User is incorrect. System simply finds it entertaining.**

I scowled and dismissed the window with a swipe of my hand, turning back to the other rewards that had been oh-so graciously deposited on my head.

I set the money aside along with the cash I had...liberated from Takahashi's wallet. It seemed I had a good amount stacking up here, at least, enough that getting a job wouldn't be life or death for the next couple days. I put that thought aside though, and focused on the book, probably the most interesting of all the rewards I'd received.

It reminded me of the history books my dad would keep in the large oak bookcase he'd built for the living room: a simple, embossed cover decrying it's title and sturdy hardcover bindings holding in it's thick rash of pages.

As I picked it up, another window opened in front of me.

**You've found a skill book: Silk Hiding Steel. Learn this skill? **

**Y/N?**

I stared at the little notification for a second before pressing yes, my mind racing with all of the possibilities that something like this would create. As I readied myself for the explanation of my new skill, however,I found myself sorely disappointed.

**Skill acquisition failed.** **Requirements: Deception Lvl. 10, Control 20**

I got the distinct impression that the system was laughing at me as I closed the window with a frown and quickly pulled up my stat sheet. 20 control… I was at 10 now, so that meant I'd need to either level up 10 more times, or dump all my points from the next two into the stat.

Control was one of those stats that I didn't really understand, as well, and despite wracking my brain for any and all ideas, I couldn't come up with anything that might raise it outside of leveling like I could with mental and physical. At least, not as I was now.

Looking at my skills list, Unarmed Combat Proficiency raised my physical by 2 every 10 levels. While that was a pretty tall order -none of my skills were anywhere _close _to 10- I thought that the same principle might apply to other stats, and other skills.

Skills I didn't know.

I groaned and flopped back onto the bed, running some numbers quickly in my head. I had at least enough cash to spend the next couple days goofing around without worrying about my future. So tomorrow I could go try and gain some new skills, and develop my other ones. Maybe the library would have some skill books within my reach.

I'd have to buy some new clothes, too. And laundry detergent.

God it was like being 20 all over again.

[(・へ・)]

The next morning saw me back on the town to buy some clothes and observe some people, and I made sure my path kept me as far away from last night's events as possible. It wasn't the most eventful process, and certainly not what I would think of had someone asked me what I'd do if my life were a video game, but I'd found some cute stuff, and I even managed to find a gym not too far from my place on my way back home.

So when I got home I'd dropped my bags, pulled on some not-smelly workout clothes, and headed right back out the door.

The gym was a small city owned one, but very well equipped. I guessed that, with the advent of heroes, there had probably been a greater influence on maintaining and building a strong body. Either way, I was thankful.

I'd never been especially fit in my past life, the only school fitness tests I'd consistently passed were the sit-n-reach for flexibility, and then the endurance swimming test in high school. Sure I'd had bouts of insecurity-fueled gym streaks, maybe one or two spin classes and a couple summers of swim team, but it'd never stuck. I was determined that this time around, I'd be better.

I was going to be a hero, after all.

So I'd made my way to the treadmill and started on a warm up, trying to ignore the way my body quickly grew tired.

As if consciously trying to mock me, a bar labeled "Stamina" appeared at the corner of my vision, slowly depleting as I ran. I scowled and ignored it, focusing instead on finishing my warm up.

As I finished and stepped off of the treadmill I watched as the bar slowly recharged. I shook my head and made my way over to the free weights.

Around 40 minutes later I was lying on the bench, bracing my hands on the bar above me as I tracked the regeneration of my stamina bar. I was just about to start on my chest presses when a face appeared over mine.

"Hey!"

I yelped and tried to sit up, smacking my face on the bar. I groaned and rubbed my nose, my eyes watering from the impact.

"Oh man I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to startle you- are you okay?"

The boy who'd surprised me was still there, fluttering about me like some kind of mother hen. He was taller than me, with long-ish black hair pulled back from his face. As I slowly sat up again I fired off a quick Observe.

**Kirishima Ejirou**

**Level 12**

**A student at Chiba Middle, Ejirou idolises the former pro hero Crimson Riot. Weilding a self professed "boring" quirk and insecure over both his appearance and personality, he endeavors to work especially hard to be accepted into U.A. Academy to become a hero.**

Man what're the chances. The first canon character I meet and I've already slammed my face into a barbell.

"'M fine." I told him. The pain slowly fading from my face. "Did you need something?" Kirishima laughed, showing off an impressive array of shark-like teeth, and rubbed the back of his neck.

As he did so my eyes were drawn to his biceps, and I realised that he was really, really buff. Suddenly embarrassed, I forced my eyes back to the barbell. Duh, of course he was buff. The guy's costume didn't even have a freaking _shirt._

"Well you were gonna lift without a spotter! That's okay for free weights like you were using before, but for lifts like bench presses you need someone to watch your back or you might get hurt. So I thought, since you're around my age, I'd come ask if you needed some help."

His grin widened, "Didn't mean to make you hit your head, though, surprising you was pretty unmanly."

I sighed and looked up at him. Something about his demeanor reminded me so strongly of my older brother that it hurt. I shook myself out of it. This was no place for misplaced grief.

"Alright, thanks." I said, smiling, and repositioned myself back under the barbell.

It seemed that my agreement had been some kind of signal to him, however, as he followed the rest of my workout around the gym. He seemed to recognize pretty quickly that I was a beginner at most of the stuff I was attempting, and helped me adjust the weights or movements to better suit my current level. Honestly it should've been annoying, but he was so genuinely passionate about it that I couldn't help but listen.

It was good advice, too, by the time he had to leave, around 2 hours after I'd gotten there, I'd gained a skill and my physical stat had increased by 1.

**Weight Limit Level 1: Be a real man and carry all the groceries in one trip! Allows easy carrying and lifting of objects up to a total of 100lbs. Excludes inventory weight.**

After we finished our last set I plopped down on a bench and took a long drink from the water bottle I'd brought, watching as my stamina bar jumped up in response. Kirishima fell onto the bench next to me, sweat dripping down his face, and pulled his own water bottle out of his bag, along with his phone. He turned to me, smiling, and offered it to me.

"Hey man, today was super fun! We got a lot of good work done- wanna be gym buddies?"

I almost laughed, but the sincere, eager expression on his face had me taking his phone and plugging in my own contact information.

"Alright, what days work best for you?" I asked, handing the phone back to him. He pondered the question for a moment, tapping some things on the screen before he looked back up at me.

"I'm here every other day bro! Can't become a hero if I'm slacking off." I laughed and agreed, the familiar feeling growing even stronger. God, it really was like being with Chris all over again.

Before I could do anything about it, though, he stood up and stretched.

"Well" He glanced down at his phone, "-Katsuki-chan, I'll see you Tuesday after school!"

For a moment I was confused until I remembered that of course he thought I was going to school, I was 14. Well, technically 14. "My name's Kirishima, by the way, I just realized I didn't tell you."

I smiled and shook my head, waving as he walked back towards the locker rooms to change.

"Bye, Kirishima-kun."

[(・へ・)]

I'd left the gym shortly after Kirishima. While I could've kept going, it was nearing 3 o'clock, and I'd seen online that the closest library, around a mile and a half away, closed around 5:30. So I gathered up my things and set off for the library at a steady clip.

As I jogged I tried to use observe on as many people as possible, letting the information boxes pile up just outside of my immediate field of view. It wasn't the easiest process, but since I was mainly using it on the people in front of me, it did make sure I didn't run into anyone.

I'd managed to get Observe to level 5 by the time I reached the library 15 minutes later. Now it was starting to tell me the name of each observed person's quirk alongside the more generalized background information. While it wasn't much, it was entertaining thinking about what some of the more esoteric names might mean, or how more common ones might be unique to their user.

The library, while somewhat unassuming on the outside, was a gorgeous piece of architecture on the inside. Full of crisp, clean lines and birch bookcases atop a very shiny white marble floor. It seemed pretty busy too, with multiple groups of people spread across various tables, single patrons mingling amongst the labyrinth of shelves.

Perfect.

I wandered the shelves, my fingers skimming the spines of the books as I walked. I'd started in the non-fiction section, hoping (if only for the sake of time) that simply touching the spines of a skill book would be enough to activate it.

It was around 10 minutes before I found my first skill book. As I brushed my fingers over it a small jolt ran up my arm, the title appearing in a box right before my eyes.

**You've found a skill book: Stitching & Sewing for Students. Learn this skill? **

**Y/N?**

I tapped the yes button with my other hand and watched as the book glowed. The light flowed like water down my fingers, still on the spine, to my chest. A small chime rang and another window opened in front of me.

**You've gained a skill: Sewing!**

**Sewing Level 1: Create, repair, and attach anything your heart desires. As long as your needle can pierce it, you can sew it. Increased proficiency with needle & thread. **

The glow faded, and I sighed with relief when the book didn't fade with it. I was afraid that the book would be consumed or dissolve, but it seemed that these skill books were more like Skyrim than Xenoblade.

Now that I knew it would work, and that I wasn't about to get kicked out by an angry librarian, I headed straight for the medical texts. From what I remembered about the manga, healers were in short supply, and the main character regularly maimed himself. When I considered that and some of the more horrific long-term injuries the characters experienced, I had decided almost immediately that more healing could never hurt.

I already had some experience in first aid thanks to many years as a lifeguard in my past life, but I was hoping that in this one I'd be able to do some cool magic-healing. Unfortunately, if a skill like that did exist, it seemed like I wouldn't be finding it today. Instead my time in the shelves of medical texts had given me more skills based on anatomy and toxins, as well as one for first aid.

**Human Anatomy Level 1: Your understanding of the human body is unparalleled...unless you include every medical student or doctor. Boosts effects of skills which require understanding by 1%.**

**Animal Anatomy Level 1: Your understanding of Animal bodies is somewhat worrying for someone who isn't a veterinarian. Boosts effects of skills which require understanding by 1%**

**Poison Identification Level 1:** **From cyanide to too much salt, increased chance (5%) to detect or identify poisons passively. Activate for 20 Energy for 100% chance to identify poison & antidote. **

**First Aid Level 1: You're not a doctor, but sometimes a bandaid is the most you'll get. Increased healing via basic first aid, allows removal of DOT effects like bleeding. Limit: 20 HP restored.**

It had also given me what looked like my first active skill. Poison Identification's active effect didn't seem all too relevant for me right now, but it did have me pulling up my character sheet to see how much energy I had to use.

It seemed like my available energy was directly related to my energy stat, every point in the energy stat resulting in 10 more energy I could use. My current energy pool sat at 100, which meant that one Poison Identification would take out a fifth.

I checked the time after I finished sorting through the windows and set off back for the entrance. While I would love to continue looking for skill books, I didn't have any desire to keep the library staff from the end of their shift.

As I neared the circulation desk by the doors I found myself distracted by the small display of classic novels they had set up. It had been a while since I'd gotten to sit down and read a good book and I still had a bit of time to pick out one or two before the library actually closed for the night.

_Besides, _I thought as a loud laugh from one of the tables drew my attention, _it's not like I'm the only one still here._

My eyes returned to the table and I scanned the titles, my fingers skimming along the covers. Despite the events of the last couple hours I was still surprised when a new window opened in front of me decrying the skill held within the small novel's pages.

**You've found a skill book: Amaterasu's Defense. Learn this skill?**

**Y/N?**

I snatched the book from the table and headed for the checkout desk. I knew as soon as I saw the title that I wanted whatever skill this book had to offer me, but I had no desire to start glowing in the middle of the library, quirk world or not.

Soon I was back home, another level in deception under my belt and a new book on the table in front of me. I reopened the skill learning window and tapped yes, watching as yet again my body glowed with the light of the book.

**You've unlocked a skill: Kyuudo!**


End file.
